“What about Roger and Candy?”
“That’s different. They didn’t choose this. It was thrust upon them. They’re playing the cards that they were dealt.”
“You’re such a cynic.” She turned and pulled a chair out from the table. “We weren’t meant to spend our lives alone. The good lord made us in pairs for a reason.”
He gave her a droll look. “Now you do sound like mom.”
“Stop it.” She slid the lone candle across the table and lit it with a match. “You know what I mean.”
He sighed and turned toward her, pulling out his own chair. “There was somebody once. I cared about her.”
“You’re talking about Shelly, right?”
He nodded slowly. “I never told her.”
“Trust me, she knew.”
He looked up at her, his face a mask of confusion. “If she knew, she would have said something. She would have acted on it. She was a lot bolder than I ever was.”
Vic raised a brow at him. “Just because she didn’t say anything or act on it doesn’t mean she didn’t know.” She reached out and took his hand. “Maybe she thought the timing wasn’t right.”
“Or maybe she didn’t feel the same.”
“Possibly. But the fact of the matter is, she’s not with us anymore. You need to carry on.”
Hatcher slowly shook his head. “I’m not ready.” He looked up at Vic and gave her a sad smile. “Besides, there’s a cure now, right? Maybe…” He stopped himself before he said something that would open Pandora’s box.
“You think maybe she’s out there?”
He looked away and gave her a slight shrug. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it.”
Vic sat forward and squeezed his hand. “Danny, you can’t cling to something like that. It will get the better of you.”
He looked up at her, his mouth a tight line. “What if, though? What if she did somehow stay alive this whole time and now she’s…”
“Don’t.” Vic pulled him closer and patted his cheek. “You’ll tear yourself up thinking like that.” She leaned back and stared into his eyes. “You know as well as I do that the infected in that area most likely died in the blast. The ones who didn’t would have starved to death by now.”
He nodded, his mind knowing the facts, but his heart not willing to give up hope. “I know.”
“Then move on.” She patted his hand. “There are plenty of single women in the group that—”
“No.” He pulled away from her. “I know what you’re trying to do and…” He paused, trying to choose the right words. “Look, I’m happy that you’re happy. I’m sure Coop is a great guy. But I’m not ready to take that step yet.”
“Daniel, I’m not trying to force your hand.”
“It feels like it.” He stood up from the chair and reached for the box. “I have stuff to unpack.”
“Is that your way of saying get the hell out?” she smirked.
He shook his head. “Feel free to stay as long as you want. The cafeteria ladies packed me a couple of sandwiches. They’re in the cooler.”
Vic stood and gave him a worried look. “I’m right across the street if you ever want to talk.”
“I know.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You should unpack, too. You got a lot more stuff to deal with than I do.”
“Yep. Definitely a ‘get the hell out.’” She turned and waved over her shoulder. “Just remember, I know the general health of all the ladies.”
“Good night, sis,” he called. He watched her leave then went to the front window, ensuring she made it across the street safely.
He turned back to the hallway and pushed open the door to the master bedroom and set the box down in the candlelit gloom. He dug to the bottom, finally pulling out the framed photo of Mitch, Shelly and him standing in front of the station. He set it gently beside the bed and stared at the image for a moment. “I miss you guys.”
Feeling suddenly drained, Hatcher lay out on the overstuffed mattress and closed his eyes. As images of better days flashed through his mind, he did his best to ignore the twisting feeling in his guts.
“There are other options.” Carol spoke softly, doing her best to keep their conversation private.
Broussard sighed and turned to her. “What do you think they’ve been feeding them?” He pointed to the individual cells that the politicians were secured in. “There is evidence of other…protein mixed into the filth at their feet.”
“You can’t just march into the general’s office and ask him who they’ve been sacrificing to feed their guests.”
“Sacrifice?” Broussard rolled the word around in his head for a moment. “That’s probably quite accurate. They hang far too much importance on the heads of their politicos.”
“You know what I mean.” She blew her breath out hard and pressed a hand to her temple. “I understand that he gave us control of the lab, but that doesn’t give us carte blanche.”
Broussard raised a brow at her. “Have you considered the broader ramifications of us finding their beloved cure?”
She paused and gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”
“We know, Carol.” He stared at her, praying she would connect the dots and he wouldn’t have to spell it out.
“I don’t follow.”
He sighed heavily and pulled her aside. “Say we find their cure, oui? Then what?” He tugged at her shoulder. “We know too much.”
She continued to stare at him, her mind rebelling. “What are you saying?”
“We know that Green allowed Higgins to test on healthy humans. We know that they’ve been feeding them…something to keep them alive this long. We’re not blind. We can see the aftermath of these feedings. Do you really think they’ll allow us to live with this knowledge?”
Carol swallowed hard and turned and thrust her chin out at the other CDC personnel working in the lab. “What of them?”
“They didn’t have need to know, remember? Now I understand why Higgins kept them in the dark about everything.” He leaned on the counter and stared at her. “Perhaps part of it was his abuse of power, but I’m beginning to believe that he was protecting them from Green.”
“Plausible deniability.”
Broussard nodded. “Or criminal stupidity on Higgins’ part. Either way, their lack of insight might have been the only thing keeping them alive, assuming they, one day, get what they want.”
Carol felt her hands shake as she sat down, her legs refusing to cooperate. “Either way, we’re dead.”
“I would bet on it.” He sat down beside her. “It wasn’t until I got closer to the cells to observe their physical symptoms that I noticed the clothing scattered about the floor.” He held his head in his hands and groaned. “I saw pieces of bone and…a shoe, an extra shoe. This can only mean one thing.”
“They’re feeding them people.” The words caught in her throat as she spoke them.
“Whether dead or alive…it doesn’t matter,” Broussard whispered. “Just like McAlester. He craved human flesh, and that is exactly what they are eating.”
She looked up at him, panic in her eyes. “What do we do?”
“As we originally planned. We play along. We work as diligently as we dare.” He glanced at the others in the lab and sighed. “And if the day comes when we think we are about to make a breakthrough, we find a way to get out.”
Carol turned and stared at the large steel blast doors. “Do you really think that’s a possibility?”
“We’ll know soon enough.” He glanced at his watch. “If they hold to their end of the bargain, we should be getting our time outside within the hour.” He stared at her. “Memorize everything you see. We can’t expect to devise a plan immediately, but the more we see, the more we make note of, the better our odds—if the time ever comes.”
She nodded slowly. “Understood.”
“How’s the arm?” Veronica asked.
“Hurts,” Simon grunted. He looked at her and
his features softened. “I didn’t thank you before…”
“You were in a lot of pain.” She sat down beside him, a cold beer cradled in her hands. “And high as a kite.”
He scoffed. “Not high enough. It still hurt like hell.”
“Sorry.” She took a swig and leaned back in the folding chair. “How’d you like the food?”
Simon smiled. “I’d never had venison quite like that before.”
“The secret is in the sauce.” She grinned and nodded toward Trent. “He says if you soak the meat in milk overnight it pulls the gamey taste from it.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything fresh. It was…nice.”
She fished in her shirt pocket and pulled out a hand rolled cigarette. “Care for a hit?” She flicked the lighter and the distinct smell of cannabis wafted through the air.
Simon’s brows rose and he reached for the joint. “Thanks.”
“It might help with the pain,” She replied as she blew a plume of blue grey smoke into the night air. She watched as he took a long drag from the joint, the light from the campfire giving him an orange glow. He handed the joint back and held the smoke as long as he could before slowly exhaling.
She smiled as he broke into a slight cough. “That’s good shit.”
“Only the best.” She smiled at him, her eyes glossing over.
He leaned back in his chair and stared into the fire. “It’s been too long. That really hit the spot.”
Veronica looked to the other side of the campsite and noticed Lana laughing comfortably with two other women. “Your woman is fitting in nicely.”
“She’s good people.”
Veronica took another hit then handed him the joint. “I was a little worried how the others might react to her.”
“Because she looks like a Rager still?” Simon asked as he exhaled.
Veronica nodded. “She might look like one, but she acts normal. I’m guessing you found her like this?”
Simon shook his head. “No, she was a Rager when I found her.” He tilted his head to the side and stared at her. “I was one, too.”
Veronica gave him a confused look. “You were infected?”
Simon nodded. “Not for long though.” He sighed and turned back to stare at the fire. “I didn’t lose my hair like she did, but…yeah. I was one of them.”
“I wouldn’t have ever thought that.” Veronica seemed only mildly interested, but she continued to stare at him. “How long?”
“How long what?”
“Were you one of them?”
Simon shrugged slightly. “I dunno. A week maybe.” He peered through the fire and smiled at how relaxed Lana appeared. “I showed up and took over the pack. She was one of my women.”
Veronica raised a brow at him. “One of them?” She laughed to herself. “How many did you have?”
Without missing a beat, he replied, “As many as I wanted.” He seemed to sober a bit and sat up in his chair. “I wasn’t what you’d call a ‘good guy’ before I became a Rager, and I stayed every bit as ruthless.”
She smiled at him. “I can’t picture you as the cutthroat, villainous type.”
He nodded slowly as violent images flashed through his memory. He cleared his throat and turned to look at her. “That’s the only good thing that came from my becoming one of them. Something about the whole thing changed me.” He shook his head, doing his best to shake the memories away. “I’m not that person anymore.”
Veronica laughed and leaned her head back, her eyes searching for stars through the canopy overhead. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t see it.”
Simon gave her a sly smirk. “Good.”
10
Hatcher jerked awake at the sound of banging and rolled off the bed. “Who’s that?”
More pounding had him stumbling out of the bedroom and into the living room. “Hatcher, you in there?”
He pulled the door open to find Roger grinning at him. “What time is it?”
“Time for you to wake up and start swinging a hammer.” Roger handed him the thermos again and Hatcher groaned.
“It’s barely sunup.” He fell into the couch and wrestled the cap off of the thermos. “What are you doing here?”
“Will and the boys found a whole semi load of solar panels. They’re starting the installs today.”
“But it’s so early….” Hatcher didn’t mean to whine but what little sleep he’d gotten was riddled with images he’d rather not remember.
“Early bird gets the worm,” Roger recited. “Or in this case, the solar panels.” He jerked his thumb towards the front of the house. “He announced that everybody not already involved in other jobs was either putting up the panels or running cables.”
“Great.” Hatcher swallowed a gulp of the coffee then sat on the edge of the couch. “Let them start somewhere else. Once I’ve pumped the blood out of my caffeine system I’ll join you.”
“Sorry, buddy.” Roger stood and slapped at his leg. “Will says we’re starting with the clinic and your house then working our way down the street.” He scratched at his chin. “He also said something about ‘don’t hold your breath’ and ‘cheap Chinese made crap,’ but I didn’t catch it all.”
Hatcher raised a brow then tilted the cup back. “I don’t guess Vic’s awake and could hook me up an IV and attach it to the thermos?”
“She’s on the roof already.” Roger pointed out the window. “She did mention sunscreen.”
Hatcher groaned and fell back into the couch. “What if I said I was okay with using candles?”
“Get up!” Roger kicked the couch. “I was told not to return without you, and as much as I like you, I’m not crawling under the covers to hide with you.”
“Eww.” Hatcher forced his body up from the couch and stretched. “I’m really hating you guys right about now.”
“Just swallow your coffee and find a ladder. They’re assembling the frames now.”
“Who’s ‘they?’”
Roger pointed through the window. “Everybody. And they need to see their fearless leader taking charge.”
Hatcher raised a brow at him then poured another cup of the dark nectar. “Give me five minutes then I’ll be out there with bells on.”
Roger laughed as he reached for the door. “Shake a leg, partner. Will’s cracking the whip hard this morning.”
He grunted as Roger walked out. “Whip cracking should not officially begin until noon.” He tilted the cup back and drained it. “What the hell…no rest for the wicked.”
Broussard inhaled deeply of the early morning air and exhaled forcefully. “I had forgotten what mountain air felt like.”
Carol sneered. “It’s the same air we’ve been breathing…only now we have official escorts.” She eyed the three armed men standing a few paces behind them.
Broussard looked around and noted the other CDC personnel milling about near the parking lot. “They don’t appear happy to be out.”
Carol shook her head. “I heard some of them complaining about being exposed to the same cure the politicians were.”
Broussard nodded knowingly. “A false presumption.”
“How can you be certain?”
“They all claimed to have gotten strep at the same time that the area was treated. I am certain they’ve been inoculated to the rage virus.”
Carol turned her back to the guards and lowered her voice. “I’m not seeing anything promising.”
Andre lowered his own voice. “Just make note of our surroundings. We will continue to do so until we have the place memorized.” He smiled down at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Perhaps we should take up jogging.”
She stared at him, confused. “Excuse me?”
“Jogging, ma cherie. It is very beneficial exercise, non? And we can explore more of the land surrounding the base.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “For a moment there I thought you were making a fat joke.”
He looked down at her and p
atted his own midsection. “Trust me, I have more to worry about than you ever will.” He glanced back at the guards. “Of course, they might feel the need to send armed escorts. I don’t think these soldiers would have trouble keeping up with us.”
She scoffed. “Of course they wouldn’t.” She looked back at the CDC personnel. “They’d probably make us run circles in the parking lot with a sniper watching us the whole time.”
“Do not speak such things into existence,” he chided. He stared off into the woods and smiled. “Surely they would want to keep the saviors of mankind healthy and happy, non?”
She shrugged. “I can’t second guess any of their thought processes.” She crossed her arms and glared at the men watching them. “Anybody who could condone the behavior they’ve allowed is—”
“Time’s up!”
All heads turned to see a uniformed soldier marching into their midst. “Your hour is up. Let’s move. Back to work.”
Broussard stared at the man then stepped toward him. “Your tone indicates that we are nothing more than prisoners here.”
The soldier squared up and glared at the man. “My tone indicates that we don’t have the manpower to properly guard you people. We still can’t know for certain what threats are out here.”
Broussard sighed and stepped closer, doing his best to keep his voice friendly and level. “We are certain that the cure had been properly dispersed in the area and—”
“And you saw what that cure did to the people below,” the soldier stated matter-of-factly. “I’m sorry, sir, but your health and wellbeing is far too important to risk. Please…” He motioned back to the steel blast doors. “Time to return to base.”
Broussard gave him a soft smile then waved Carol ahead of him. “Of course.”
Carol muttered as she marched past the pair, “That’s the fastest hour I think I’ve ever experienced.”
“There is always tomorrow, cherie.”
Simon rolled over and smiled at Lana. “Good morning.”
“You stink of pot.” She raised a brow at him. “I was going to say something last night, but I don’t think you would have remembered.”
Caldera 10: Brave New World Page 7